Sauna apparatus

ABSTRACT

A sauna apparatus includes a housing having a plurality of walls, and a plurality of heating pads attached respectively to the walls. Each of the heating pads of the sauna apparatus includes a flat heating body, and a flat electrical insulator enclosing the flat heating body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a sauna apparatus, more particularly to a sauna apparatus including a housing and a plurality of heating pads attached respectively to walls of the housing.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional sauna apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 1, defines a chamber 11, and includes left, right, front and rear walls 12, 13, 18, 14, a ceiling 15, and a floor 16. The front wall 18 is provided with a door 181. A seat 17 is mounted in the chamber 11 proximate to the floor 16. A plurality of heating devices 19 are mounted in the chamber 11 below the seat 17. Each of the heating devices 19 includes a casing 191 and a heating element 192 mounted in the casing 191. The heating element 192 includes a quartz tube.

When power to the heating devices 19 is turned on, the heating elements 192 radiate heat so as to elevate the temperature of the chamber 11 of the sauna apparatus 1. In conjunction with use of infrared rays or essential oils, the sauna apparatus 1 is helpful to users in enhancing metabolism, expelling poisonous substances from their bodies, keeping healthy, and combating fatigue. Although the heating devices 19 of the conventional sauna apparatus 1 are capable of radiating heat, how to further improve the heating devices 19 is a pressing need because of the following drawbacks:

1. Since the heat emission area of each of the heating elements 192 is relatively small, the temperature of each of the heating elements 192 is required to be higher than 100° C. so as to provide the chamber 11 with a temperature within a desired range, i.e. about 45° C. to 60° C. Under such a condition, the user tends to feel uncomfortable due to hot spots resulting from the high temperature of the heating devices 19. Besides, the user is likely to be injured upon accidental contact with the heating devices 19 or receiving a long term of irradiation therefrom.

2. Since the heating devices 19 protrude from the left, right, front and rear walls 12, 13, 18, 14, into the chamber 11, the size of the sauna apparatus 1 is difficult to be reduced and takes up too much space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a sauna apparatus that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the present invention, a sauna apparatus includes a housing having a plurality of walls, and a plurality of heating pads attached respectively to the walls. Each of the heating pads includes a flat heating body, and a flat electrical insulator enclosing the flat heating body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to illustrate a conventional sauna apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view to illustrate the preferred embodiment of a sauna apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view to illustrate the structure of a heating pad of the sauna apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view to illustrate one arrangement of heating pads in a housing of the sauna apparatus according to this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view to illustrate another arrangement of heating pads in the housing of the sauna apparatus according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the preferred embodiment of a sauna apparatus 2 according to this invention includes a housing that has a plurality of walls and that defines a chamber 21 therein. The sauna apparatus 2 further includes a plurality of thin heating pads 3 attached respectively to the walls. The walls include left and right walls 22, 23, front and rear walls 28, 24 interconnecting the left and right walls 22, 23, and a ceiling 25 and a floor 26 interconnecting the left, right, front and rear walls, 22, 23, 28, 24. The front wall 28 is provided with a door 281. The sauna apparatus 2 further includes a seat 27 that is disposed in the chamber 21 above the floor 26. The thin heating pads 3 include left and right heating pads 322, 323, and upper and lower heating pads 324.

Referring to FIG. 3, each of the heating pads 3 includes a flat heating body 31 that is capable of radiating heat, and a flat electrical insulator 32 that encloses the flat heating body 31 and that is capable of conducting the heat radiated from the flat heating body 31 into the chamber 21 in the sauna apparatus 2. Preferably, the flat heating body 31 is enclosed in the flat electrical insulator 32 through hot pressing techniques. In this preferred embodiment, the flat heating body 31 is preferably made from a graphite material, and has a thickness less than 1 mm. The flat electrical insulator 32 is preferably made from a flexible glass fiber material for insulating the flat heating body 31.

FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred arrangement of the heating pads 3 in the sauna apparatus 2 according to this invention. In the arrangement, the left and right heating pads 322, 323 are attached to the left and right walls 22, 23, respectively, and are disposed above the seat 27. The upper and lower heating pads 324 are attached to the rear wall 24 and are disposed above and below the seat 27, respectively. When power to the sauna apparatus 2 according to this invention is turned on, the heat emitted by the flat heating body 31 is conducted from the flat heating body 31 into the chamber 21 in the sauna apparatus 2 through the flat electrical insulator 32, and is distributed evenly throughout the chamber 21 by virtue of air convection. Thus, the temperature of the chamber 21 in the sauna apparatus 2 according to this invention can be evenly elevated and maintained at a uniform distribution.

Since each of the heating pads 3 is relatively thin, the area of each of the heating pads 3 can be relatively large without significantly reducing the volume of the chamber 21, which permits a lower temperature for each of the heating pads 3 as compared to that of the conventional heating device. Therefore, the user is able to touch and contact the heating pads 3 without being injured.

It is noted that the heating pads 3 can be attached anywhere on the left, right and rear walls 22, 23, 24, the ceiling 25 and the floor 26. As shown in FIG. 5, the heating pads 3 further include a bottom pad 326 that is attached to the floor 26. The bottom pad 326 is covered by a towel in such a manner that the user can put feet on the bottom pad 326.

It is noted that this invention can be embodied in a sauna apparatus for multiple users, although the sauna apparatus 2 shown in the drawings is for a single user.

Since each of the heating pads 3 is relatively thin, the size of the sauna apparatus 2 can be reduced to avoid occupying too much space. In addition, the heating pads 3 can be directly mounted on the walls of the sauna apparatus 2 without the need for the casing 191 as required in the conventional sauna apparatus. Therefore, use of the heating pads 3 is more convenient and economical than the conventional heating devices 19.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A sauna apparatus, comprising: a housing having a plurality of walls; and a plurality of heating pads attached respectively to said walls; wherein each of said heating pads includes a flat heating body, and a flat electrical insulator enclosing said flat heating body.
 2. The sauna apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flat heating body is made from a graphite material.
 3. The sauna apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flat electrical insulator is made from a flexible glass fiber material.
 4. The sauna apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing defines a chamber, said walls including left and right walls, front and rear walls interconnecting said left and right walls, and a floor interconnecting said left, right, front and rear walls, said sauna apparatus further comprising a seat that is disposed in said chamber above said floor.
 5. The sauna apparatus of claim 4, wherein said heating pads include left and right heating pads that are attached to said left and right walls, respectively, and that are disposed above said seat; and upper and lower heating pads that are attached to said rear wall and that are disposed above and below said seat, respectively.
 6. The sauna apparatus of claim 5, wherein said heating pads further include a bottom pad that is attached to said floor. 